Saturday, 28 December 2013

You've heard the expression, "the customer is always right". The problem with that is the customer is not always right. Furthermore, students aren't customers; they're products.

When it's convenient for them to treat them as customers, such as during teacher evals (While I agree that students' needs have to be met, it's hardly fair for
students to hold their teachers' careers in their hands. Studies have
shown little correlation between high teacher evaluations and students'
learning. Aren't teachers the ones who should be evaluating students?), they do. However, when it's not convenient for them to be customers (astronomical tuition fees, for example), they don't.

Admin needs to recognise this and realise that the proof is in the pudding. Having students who are able to compete in the real world is what they should strive to achieve. After all, most admin and teachers have been teaching for a long time and are experts in their fields; students, however, are not experts in evaluating teachers nor do they know everything about the subject they're studying. It's the teacher's job to teach them.

By viewing them as products the admin will also make necessary changes, such as opening useful classes, fast-tracking graduation, having year round classes, giving credit for outside work, putting theory into practice, having student led classes, and so on.

By treating students as customers, schools run the risk of lowering their standards just to keep students happy. It's a question of ethics and a shifting of power. Now students hold the
power in their hands. Teachers are resorting to pizza parties and
giving out grades like candy. Making classes easy, giving little homework, and just "having fun" in class is what many students would like if they were to be happy customers. Schools have to stop doing this and realise that they, with their years of experience and higher degrees, have their students' best interests at heart. Only when schools start viewing students as a product of their institution and not as customers, will everyone benefit.

Let's say they recommend you for a job, but the admin doesn't like you, it comes back on the person who recommended you. Or the admin doesn't like that person and they recommend you, meaning that you'd be less likely to get the job.

For the same reasons that I don't ask people to recommend me, I don't feel comfortable recommending anyone else. I will tell people about job openings or let them know about different employers, but I will not give a personal recommendation.

I do believe that networking is super important. While I won't ask to be recommended or recommend other people, through networking I can find out who is hiring and where they advertise. I will also happily tell people if my employer is hiring and answer any questions they have about the job.

If you want to get a Chinese Z visa to work in China legally you have a couple of choices. 1. GETTING YOUR VISA IN KOREA
The rules change all the time. In 2012, they changed at least 3 times. Here's the info if you want to get your visa in Korea. You usually need at least 6 months and 2 blank pages in your passport as well as 6 months left on your ARC or SOFA visa. (If you want to get a tourist visa you'll need to have your trip planned, tickets and hotels booked, and state how many people are in your party. Tourist visas are good for 10 years.) As of 24 January 2014, the Chinese embassy in Korea only accepts direct visa applications if you fulfill certain requirements. Please read the info on their website. If you can't apply directly through the embassy here are some tour agencies that people have recommended. Most places require an application form, passport, photo, printed out flight and hotel reservations. Sometimes they can get you a visa the next day, sometimes it may take up to a week.

If you have base access check out Apple Tours at Camp Kim near Yongan USAG. Other military bases around Korea also have tour agencies you can use.

Chinese Visa Application Service Center near Seoul Square. It's opposite Seoul Station and there's a Twosome Place on the ground
floor. Go up one floor, turn left, and take the elevators to the sixth
floor.

CTS (Chinese Travel Services, the official Chinese government travel agency)

Got more than 6 months on your ARC?
Basically, if you have more than 6 months left on your ARC you can go to any travel agency and they can get you a X (working) visa.

Got less than 6 months left on your ARC?
If you have less than 6 months on your visa it's a little more difficult. Most agencies will tell you that it's impossible. That's not true. CTS (Chinese Travel Services, the official Chinese government travel agency) can help you get a visa. 2. SENDING YOUR PASSPORT HOME
You could always try sending your passport home. There's more info on Dave's. More likely than not you will need to hire an official agent recommended by the embassy to help you. 3. HONG KONG AND THAILAND
Many people have been able to get their Z visas from HK or Thailand. Officially, if you email them or check their websites, they will say you need to be a resident in order to get a Z visa. However, if you get the medical check done it that country, you should be able to get the visa there. Forever Bright Trading Company (FBT) has been recommended time and time again As I mentioned before, rules change often. Check the Z visa post and the medical post.

4. GET YOUR VISA IN CHINA
It's been said that you can get a Chinese L, F, or Z visa in China. Here's a blog post about it. It's from 2009 and the company's website no longer exists, however, this is China and all things are possible.

Sunday, 1 December 2013

I was interviewed by Mark from TESOL Zone. The article can be found at TESOL Zone or you can read the copy below.

Teaching English in Peru
For English teachers interested in teaching English in Peru here is an interview with Sharon de Hinojosa. Sharon has taught English for many years in Peru and Korea. Her websites: TEFL Tips and LA Job List both contain a lot of useful information for anyone who wishes to teach English in Peru - and on teaching English in Latin America generally. Their FAQ section is particularly helpful. Finally Sharon's Ultimate Peru List is a guide for people who wish to live in Peru.

Peru is an interesting country for many reasons. It has a large mix of cultures, which can be seen in Peru's food, literature and music. It has a long coastline, jungles and the Andes. Many aspects to explore. Here is the interview.

An Interview on Teaching English in Peru with Sharon de Hinojosa

What is the job market like for teaching jobs in Peru at the moment?
It's picking up. Most institutes pay between $6 and $10 an hour. Expect to work split shifts and you may have to travel to off site courses. Also, the majority of institutes are not going to get you a visa, housing, or a flight. There are three institutes that I know of that offer visas: English Life, Britanico, and Langrow.

What's the best way to find a job teaching English in Peru?
Come and knock on doors. Meeting people face-to-face is very important in Peruvian culture. Many teachers simply email their CVs to institutes. This rarely works. Employers want you to be in Peru and have a face-to-face interview.

How important are qualifications and experience for finding teaching work in Peru?
I'd say that the two most important things for getting a teaching job in Peru is being a native speaker and a good teacher. Qualifications and experience help and the more prestigious institutes will want those, but there are still plenty of jobs out there for newbies. If you're not a native speaker, then you should be near native and have exams, such as the CAE or CPE to back that up. In order for you to be a good teacher you will have to be flexible, willing to work odd hours, and come prepared to class.

What are the main TEFL locations in Peru?
Lima, Trujillo, Arequipa, Cusco, and Piura.

How much does the average teacher earn? Is it possible to save any money?
Don't come to Peru if you're concerned about money. The average teacher can probably expect to earn around $600 a month. If you work at a couple institutes and teach private lessons, you can make more, maybe up to $1000. It's hard to save money, go to Korea or the Middle East for that. However, you can live well. You can eat out all the time, have a maid, and a decent apartment.

Is the market mostly for children or adults? What are the students like to teach?
In institutes, the market is mainly for high school and university students and businesspeople. Peruvians are very laid back and casual so teaching's not that stressful.

What are the best things about living in Peru?
It's exotic and not a common destination for TEFL teachers.

What are the challenges of living in the country?
Traffic is a nightmare. And if you're a woman, then you have to deal with very annoying machista men. Because Peru is a third world country, you will have to deal with typical third world problems such as disorganisation, a problematic government, thieves, and lots of litter.

How important is it to learn Spanish? Are there many opportunities for learning the language?
It always helps to learn the language of the country you're living in. That being said, you can get around without it. There are opportunities if you create them. You can study at an institute, set up a conversation exchange (intercambio), study on your own, or hire a teacher. If you want to learn, you will.

Additional Notes on Teaching English in Peru
As Sharon has rightly said, most jobs are to be found by being in Peru and approaching schools directly. However, it is still a good idea to try all options. There are sometimes jobs advertised online [see Dave's ESL Cafe and TEFL.com]. It's worth trying the online Peruvian newspapers. El Commercio on Sunday has a jobs section. Lists of schools can be found in the paginas amarillas for Peru. You can also visit Sharon's LA Job List for a list of schools.

Taking a TEFL certificate in Peru could be a good way of making contacts and finding teaching jobs there, as well as helping you learn new methods of teaching English.